Clothespin



Feb 23, 1937. E. c. BEHNKE I 2,071,812

CLOTHESPIN Filed May 8, 1935 1762271521 wi/zessea' ,Zkzward flBe/z mire,

Patented Feb. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in clothespins. The old style clothespin has been found to be unsatisfactory in many respects. Among other disadvantages, the pin heretofore used is not prevented from working loose and does not bind the clothes to the line in a satisfactory manner. I have provided a clothespin with three legs which has been found in practice to be a distinct improvement over the old clothespin. By the arrangement of my pin, as will be hereinafter more apparent, the direction of the longitudinal axis of the clothesline to which the pin is applied, is not constant as with the old pin, but is varied so as to give the line a bend with the result that friction is increased and the likelihood of the pins working loose is practically eliminated.

Also, by the arrangement of my invention the same result is had with clotheslines of varying thickness and clotheslines having garments of varying thickness, the pin not only being prevented from working loose but also being held in place as desired.

My invention also has for an object the provision of a durable clothespin of wood or other suitable material of the character described, which will be simple of manufacture and relatively inexpensive.

These and other objects and advantages will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the preferred form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is another elevational view of the same;

Fig. 4 is a plan section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a reverse elevation to that of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a section taken on the line 'l'| of Fig. 3, showing the application of the clothespin to a line with a garment.

The concrete exemplification which I have chosen to illustrate the principle of my invention and its application embodies a clothespin l I! having a head ll, which as shown in Fig. 2 is substantially triangular in cross section, a reduced neck l2, and a body portion I3, having legs l4, l5, and I6. Each leg has a rounded exterior I! as shown in Fig. 6, and a fiat interior face I8, there being a space l9 between the three fiat faces l8 of the three legs. Each leg at the bottom is provided with a taper 20.

In the form shown, referring particularly to Fig. 6, if a line 2| were drawn parallel to the flat face l8 of the leg l6, tangent to the two legs l4 and I5, and if the line 2| were bisected and a line drawn from the bisecting point to the nearest point on the flat face l8 of the leg IS, the length of the line 22 would be shorter than the shortest line 23 between the legs I and Hi. It will be manifest that if the distance between the two legs I4 and I6 was the proper distance to accommodate the clothesline 24 and garment 25, the clothesline and garment would be bent out of the longitudinal direction of the axis of the clothesline about the leg l6 inasmuch as the clothesline would have to pass between the legs l5 and Hi. This will be obvious without further explanation. The bend is clearly shown at 26 of Fig. 7.

It will also be seen from Fig. 7 that the flat faces and rounded faces converge to enhance the impinging action of the legs I4 and l5.

As a result of my invention it will be impossible not only for the pin to work loose, but it will also be impossible to pull in the direction of either arrow as shown in Fig. 7 without extraordinary force.

While I have shown a form of my invention comprising three legs having the conformations described, it should be understood that what I have shown is just a form of my invention and my invention may take countless other forms.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variations and. modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A clothespin as described having a general cylindrical contour and a central end bore and radial recesses merging therewith, whereby to define three legs, said legs each having its inner radial face flattened, said legs all adapted to engage a clothesline and to secure said clothesline by bending the same oppositethe flattened face of one of said legs.

EDWARD c. BEHNKE. 

